‘People just don’t believe I’m disabled’ — Llanddeusant farmer speaks out as research shows half of MS patients in Wales face abuse over accessible facilities

A sheep farmer from a small Carmarthenshire village who has lived with multiple sclerosis for more than 25 years says she is regularly questioned about using her Blue Badge — because nothing about her appearance suggests she has a disability.

Gemma Williams, 48, lives with her husband and two children on a farm in Llanddeusant. She was diagnosed with MS at 21 after being hospitalised with numbness from the chest down. Her symptoms now include fatigue, pain, and occasional difficulty walking — but because those symptoms are often invisible to others, she says the assumptions people make can be exhausting.

“Sometimes I’m questioned about using my Blue Badge because there is nothing about my appearance that suggests I have a disability,” she said. “I still use the badge when I need it, but I have had occasions where people have challenged me about it.”

She added that the misunderstanding extends beyond car parks. “People often assume that I am capable of doing things when I am not. If I get on a bus when my legs are weak, people do not assume I might need a seat. If I go into a pub, people do not assume that I need a chair. But there are times when I am simply not capable of standing.”

Gemma says the root of the problem is a fixed idea of what MS looks like. “I think that when people hear the term ‘MS’, they expect someone to look very ill. When you do not fit that image, people often seem confused.”

Her experience is reflected in new research published to mark MS Awareness Week, which runs from 20 to 26 April. A survey of 90 people living with MS in Wales, carried out by a coalition of leading MS charities, found that almost half — 48% — had been questioned or challenged for using accessible facilities including Blue Badge parking spaces, accessible toilets or priority seats on public transport.

Almost a quarter had been challenged for using an accessible toilet, and 22% for using a Blue Badge space. The research also revealed that over half of Welsh respondents — 57% — had avoided using accessible facilities altogether out of fear of being challenged or judged. Almost a third said that fear of judgement had stopped them from leaving the house entirely.

The findings also highlight how widespread invisible symptoms are among people with MS in Wales. A total of 96% of those surveyed said they experience at least one invisible symptom — such as fatigue, brain fog or pain — and of those, more than half said they had been made to feel as though their symptoms were not real.

More than eight in ten — 84% — said they had been told they “don’t look sick” or received similar comments. And the judgement is not limited to invisible symptoms: 59% of Welsh respondents said they had felt judged for visible symptoms including difficulties with mobility, balance or tremors.

Over 6,100 people in Wales are living with MS, which affects the brain and spinal cord and impacts how people move, think and feel. Symptoms vary significantly between individuals and can worsen over time. MS is the most common neurological condition among young adults, with most people diagnosed in their 30s and 40s.

Shelley Elgin, Country Director for Wales at the MS Society, said: “Living with MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable. And on top of that, facing judgement and harassment can make life even harder than it needs to be. These troubling new findings show us how widespread negative attitudes and assumptions are, and remind us how important it is to speak out and raise much-needed awareness about MS.”

The MS Awareness Week campaign — MS Think Again — is led by a collaboration of the UK’s biggest MS charities including the MS Society, MS Together, MS Trust, MS-UK, Shift.ms, Overcoming MS, Neuro Therapy Network and Talks with MS.

Anyone affected by MS can find support and information at mssociety.org.uk/wales. The MS Society’s free Help Hub offers emotional support, benefits and legal advice. The MS Trust helpline can be reached on 0800 032 38 39.

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So - ordered a birth certificate for Dad about two months ago from UK Gov site, to apply for his Blue Badge (since his driving licence and passport were out of date).

Not only has it just arrived today (two weeks after Dad died), but I've also found two original birth certificates of Dad's in his stuff.

This sort of thing (stuff arriving too late and wasn't needed anyway) seems to be happening quite a lot at the moment.

#Death #Dad #Family #BlueBadge

Swansea ranks among UK’s worst for Blue Badge parking misuse, new data shows

New data released by mobility specialists CareCo reveals the scale of illegal parking in disabled bays, with Swansea responsible for 7.1% of all UK misuse cases in 2024. That places the city sixth nationally, ahead of major urban areas including Westminster, Bristol and Glasgow.

Only a handful of the UK’s largest cities — including Birmingham, Bournemouth, London and Cardiff — recorded higher levels of misuse.

The figures come from freedom of information responses submitted to more than 400 councils, and highlight how often disabled parking bays are being used illegally — leaving Blue Badge holders, elderly residents and people with limited mobility struggling to access essential services.

Across the UK, more than 45,000 penalty charge notices were issued last year for vehicles parked in accessible bays without the required permit — an average of 123 incidents every day.

With fines ranging from £70 to £130, the data suggests drivers misusing disabled bays paid more than £3.16 million in penalties in 2024.

William Harrison, founder of CareCo, said:

Accessible parking bays are a vital resource. When they are unavailable, those who need them most can be prevented from attending appointments, visiting shops, or living with their own vital independence. This high demand is under increased pressure from both misuse and lack of availability.

Swansea Council was among the authorities that responded to the FOI request, contributing to the national dataset. The figures show Swansea’s rate of misuse is higher than several larger UK cities, raising questions about enforcement, demand and the availability of accessible bays across the city.

In a statement to Swansea Bay News, a spokesperson from Swansea Council said:

“Accessible parking provision is vital for motorists who have limited mobility and rely on being able to park their vehicle near to local amenities.

“We do all we can to ensure these parking spaces are used properly and our parking enforcement team will continue to issue PCNs to motorists that are not permitted to use them.”

CareCo, which says it supports more than 2.8 million Blue Badge holders through its mobility advice and products, says it hopes the findings will spark a wider conversation about accessibility and independence.

A brilliant phone in about Blue Badge use and biscuits 😂

#BlueBadge #Disability #parking #biscuits

https://youtu.be/MDzVnkh_-EY

First steps agreed towards extending access in Bridgend town centre

The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has approved an experimental traffic order that will run for 18 months, marking the first stage in reintroducing some forms of vehicular and cycle access to the pedestrianised streets.

The decision follows a public consultation which attracted more than 700 responses. A majority of participants supported extending loading and unloading hours, allowing cycling within the pedestrian zone, and creating more parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.

As part of the trial, loading and unloading will be permitted before 11am and after 4pm, while underused taxi bays on Derwen Road will be converted into additional disabled parking. Cycling will also be permitted in the pedestrianised area, subject to safety assessments, and arrangements will be simplified for large‑scale events or emergencies.

Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economic Development and Housing, said the council had listened carefully to public feedback and endorsed a motion to explore how traffic could be partially reintroduced.

“Public safety remains our primary concern, and this represents the first step towards restoring elements of vehicular and bicycle access within Bridgend town centre.”

The changes form part of the Bridgend Town Centre Masterplan, which recommended exploring new access options in light of updated national policy and guidance. The council will now monitor the impact of the experimental order closely over the coming months before deciding whether to make the changes permanent.

#blueBadge #Bridgend #BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #BridgendTownCentre #CllrNeeloFarr #cycling #disabledParking #loading #parking #pedestrianZone #unloading

Over £6,000 to be paid by convicted fraudster found misusing disabled blue parking badge

Liam Pritchard of Pontardawe used the badge to park at Porthcawl’s John Street Car Park instead of paying for a parking ticket. 

Bridgend County Borough Council’s parking team said that its checks revealed the badge had been reported lost, was subsequently cancelled, and that the person misusing the badge was not the badge holder.

Mr Pritchard appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court on 27 May where he pleaded guilty to having a disabled blue badge in his possession for fraudulent use.

The magistrates, who remarked that it was a shame that Mr Pritchard had behaved in a way which led to him losing his good character, imposed a £816 fine, a victim surcharge of £326 and court costs of £5,080 – totalling £6,222 which is due to be paid by Mr Pritchard.

Cllr Hywel Williams, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, said: “The Blue Badge Scheme is designed to allow disabled residents to park closer to their destinations, thereby maintaining inclusivity and independence.  Inevitably, the misuse of blue badges means that people with disabilities may be prevented from parking in an accessible place.

“Our parking and fraud investigation teams are working collaboratively to raise awareness of this issue and to carry out intensive checks in a bid to deter the misuse of blue badges across the county borough.

“We really hope that this case demonstrates that the fraudulent use of blue badges will not be tolerated, and our teams are committed to addressing this problem.  We are working to support those residents who legitimately need blue badges to carry out their lives without car parking presenting an obstacle.”

#blueBadge #BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #fraud #motoring #Pontardawe #Porthcawl

We now have to do a new application instead of renewing Blue Badges.
Lots of pages, too much stuff to type in, and the pages time out. They want all my meds, typed in one at a time (33 boxes), all my conditions and how they affect my mobility (24 if I leave out conditions that don't directly affect my mobility), all my walking/mobility aids and when/what I use them for (18), all my medical clinics/doctors etc, (18), and then questions I haven't even got to yet.
Some questions make no sense because they assume I only use one aid or have one condition that never fluctuates.
Why so many? Because each question opens another text box and another.
As if designed to make it harder for disabled people to complete the form.
There is an option to save after filling in a section. SoI did save it yesterday after entering over half the information.
Today it won't let me in, claims to have sent a code but nothing.
No resend option, only phone my council or start again.

#BlueBadge

Oh good.
The van in one of the disabled spaces at the gym (without a blue badge) has just got a council parking ticket.

#disabled #BlueBadge #parking